Trellis and Companyhttp://trellisandcompany.com
Thu, 22 Feb 2018 02:43:54 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Dilly Snap Pea Pickles | Fermenting Recipehttp://trellisandcompany.com/dilly-snap-pea-pickles-fermenting-recipe/
http://trellisandcompany.com/dilly-snap-pea-pickles-fermenting-recipe/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 01:32:05 +0000http://trellisandcompany.com/?p=24916These are divine right out of the jar. They can also be used to complement a green salad. Try chopping them up for a cucumber pickle substitute in a tuna or chicken salad sandwich.

These are divine right out of the jar. They can also be used to complement a green salad. Try chopping them up for a cucumber pickle substitute in a tuna or chicken salad sandwich.

A Note on “Clean”

A note on “clean” – In fermentation adventures, all equipment should be very clean. If you are unsure about the potentially sordid past of fermentation container, submerge it in water, bring to a boil for a few minutes, and follow with an air dry. A simple soap and hot water wash followed by air drying should be sufficient for a new jar.

A NOTE ON SALT

Save the fancy salts for cooking. Fermentation fairs best with boring salt—the minerals in pink or Celtic salts can leave veggies mushy or metallic. Make sure there are no anti-caking agents (if it pours when its raining, don’t use it!) or iodine. Look for refined sea salt or canning salt.

Tools

1 clean wide mouth quart jars. 2 is usually enough but venture a guess based on the size of the celery bunch.

The Process

1 | Bring the water and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and add dried dill and chilies while still hot. Allow to cool. If using fresh dill, add it to the cooled brine.

2 | Fill a wide mouth jar to the shoulder with snap peas, leaving room enough for a compressed Pickle Helix spring at the top (about 2″ from the rim).

3 | With a Pickle Helix spring in place, pour in the dilly brine to cover the peas while leaving about 1 1/2″ of air space at the top. Compress the spring and tightly screw down a Trellis & Co airlock lid to hold the spring in place. Leave in a room temperature place away from direct sunlight.

4 | After three to five days, bubbles should begin to form—this is a sign that beneficial microbes are beginning to work their fermentation magic.

After five days, open the jar and give everything a good sniff. There should be a sour odor, the next sign that resident microbes are working to lower the pickles’ PH. Taste a pea—it will probably be salty and faintly sour. Over the next week, feel free to continue taste testing. When the pickles are sour enough, put the jar in the refrigerator.

Smart Ideas

1 | Save the Brine:

Any leftover brine (the boiled and salted water called for in each recipe) can be stored in a clean jar on a pantry shelf indefinitely. Feel free to make a gallon at a time (keeping the ratio of one tablespoon of salt per quart) as it can be handy to have some around when the fermentation inspiration strikes!

2 | Consider the Surface:

There is always a possibility that the energetic action of bubbling fermentation will force some liquid out of the jar during the initial room temperature ferment. Putting the jar in a shallow bowl is a fine practice. We advise that you avoid leaving the jar on grandma’s heirloom hutch, just in case. Always leave some air at the top of the jar so there is room for microbial shenanigans.

Easy Print Recipe

Click here to access the short, sweet, and printable version of this mason jar fermenting recipe.

Trellis + Co. Fermenting Kit

Marina Jade Phillips

Fermenting Specialist, Interesting Human Being

Born in Alaska and raised in Colorado, Marina discovered the joys of fermentation in Philadelphia in 2005. She spent the last decade wrangling a homestead in Northern California, fermenting everything from tomatoes to beans. Currently, she is pedaling and eating her way thru Mexico on her first but probably not last bicycle tour, toting a violin and at least one jar of sauerkraut.

Traditional chimichurri uses oregano, cilantro, and parsley, but this recipe will work with just about any strongly flavored fresh green and/or herb—mustard greens, kale, lambs quarter (an edible “weed”), parsley, oregano, cilantro or marjoram—to name a few. Each alone or in combination will impart different characteristics on the finished product—feel free to experiment!

A Note on “Clean”

A note on “clean” – In fermentation adventures, all equipment should be very clean. If you are unsure about the potentially sordid past of fermentation container, submerge it in water, bring to a boil for a few minutes, and follow with an air dry. A simple soap and hot water wash followed by air drying should be sufficient for a new jar.

Ingredients

Watercress. Enough to fill a quart mason jar 3/4 of the way when finely chopped.

1-quart non-chlorinated water.

1 tbsp. refined sea salt.

Chilies. Whole or flaked, dried or fresh. It’s always possible to add more later in the fermentation process, so those concerned about spice can bein with about a tsp. and work up from there.

Garlic.

A NOTE ON SALT

Save the fancy salts for cooking. Fermentation fairs best with boring salt—the minerals in pink or Celtic salts can leave veggies mushy or metallic. Make sure there are no anti-caking agents (if it pours when its raining, don’t use it!) or iodine. Look for refined sea salt or canning salt.

Tools

1 clean wide mouth quart jars. 2 is usually enough but venture a guess based on the size of the celery bunch.

The Process

1 | Bring the water and salt to a boil. Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature.

2 | Finely chop all leaves with a knife. A food processor tends to bruise the leaves and the final product could have a less than pleasant pasty texture—but again, feel free to experiment!

3 | Mix chilies, garlic and chopped leaves in a big bowl, then use a funnel to aid the transfer into a quart jar. Use a fork to mash the mixture down as the jar is filling.

4 | Place a Pickle Helix spring on top of the greens, and then pour over the cooled, salted water until the greens are fully submerged, leaving about 1 1/2″ of air space at the top. Compress the spring and tightly screw down a Trellis + Co airlock lid to hold the spring in place. Store at room temperature placed away from direct sunlight.

5 | After three to five days, bubbles should begin to form—this is a sign that beneficial microbes are beginning to work their fermentation magic. After five days, open the jar and give everything a good sniff. There should be a sour odor, the next sign that resident microbes are working to lower the jars’ PH.

6 | Feel free to remove the spring and use a clean spoon to have a taste test. The spice of the watercress will have mostly vanished. The spice of the chilies can become stronger at first and then mellow with time. After ten days it should have a fairly sour flavor and can be refrigerated. More chilies can be added at any time in the process.

Smart Ideas

1 | Save the Brine:

Any leftover brine (the boiled and salted water called for in each recipe) can be stored in a clean jar on a pantry shelf indefinitely. Feel free to make a gallon at a time (keeping the ratio of one tablespoon of salt per quart) as it can be handy to have some around when the fermentation inspiration strikes!

2 | Consider the Surface:

There is always a possibility that the energetic action of bubbling fermentation will force some liquid out of the jar during the initial room temperature ferment. Putting the jar in a shallow bowl is a fine practice. We advise that you avoid leaving the jar on grandma’s heirloom hutch, just in case. Always leave some air at the top of the jar so there is room for microbial shenanigans.

This is a ferment whose flavor tends to change sometimes quite dramatically over time. Fresh watercress can be incredibly spicy but very little of that quality remains after the fermentation process. Making several smaller batches with different combinations of leaves and herbs creates possibilities for a variety of saucing surprises as flavors merge and then mellow.

Try it the Argentinian way—as the marinade and/or topping to grilled beef steaks. Use as the base of a light salad dressing, adding a bit of oil and a generous amount of fermented liquid from the jar (or steal the liquid of another jar of fermented goodies) and perhaps some soy sauce or tamari. Mix with cream cheese and sour cream for a fantastic picnic chip/veggie dip. Rub into the interior of a trout before baking and top with more after pulling off the skin. Mix with mayonnaise for added interest on sandwiches or hamburgers.

Easy Print Recipe

Click here to access the short, sweet, and printable version of this mason jar fermenting recipe.

Marina Jade Phillips

Fermenting Specialist, Interesting Human Being

Born in Alaska and raised in Colorado, Marina discovered the joys of fermentation in Philadelphia in 2005. She spent the last decade wrangling a homestead in Northern California, fermenting everything from tomatoes to beans. Currently, she is pedaling and eating her way thru Mexico on her first but probably not last bicycle tour, toting a violin and at least one jar of sauerkraut.

Trellis + Co. Fermenting Kit

Our fermenting kit is 100% complete with everything you need to start fermenting right out of the box.

]]>The Fight to Keep Food Fresh | Notes from a Traveling Fermenterhttp://trellisandcompany.com/fermentation-wins-fight-keep-food-fresh/
Sun, 28 Jan 2018 02:26:31 +0000http://trellisandcompany.com/?p=24694Fermentation is a key contender in the battle to keep food fresh. It’s a constant struggle. In a heroic effort to eat a variety of vegetables we load up the grocery cart with vibrant produce. But a week later an unappetizing combination of mold, wilt, and soft squishy rot has replaced the bounty that once filled the refrigerator's crisper drawer.

Fermentation is a key contender in the battle to keep food fresh. It’s a constant struggle. In a heroic effort to eat a variety of vegetables, we load up the grocery cart with vibrant produce. But a week later an unappetizing combination of mold, wilt, and soft squishy rot has replaced the bounty that once filled the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. The microbes that transform would-be healthy meals into compost are in a race to consume our food before we do. The cooler temperatures of a refrigerator slow their pace, but they cannot halt it entirely.

Humans have been struggling to keep food fresh and safe to eat for as long as we have been eating, and the luxury of time afforded by refrigeration is recent and only available to the developed world. A little further back in time the process of packing food into sterile jars and sealing them was invented by Nicholas Appert. He was spurred by a reward offered by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1795 to ensure his army was well-fed as they marched across Europe. Canned foods are now well known for their convenience and longevity, but also bland flavor, dismal texture, and diminished nutrients.

Thankfully, the oldest trick in the preservation book is experiencing a long over-due revival in the United States. People around the globe weld salt and time as weapons in the battle to keep their food fresher longer. Many beloved and culturally defining dishes are possible only with the help of fermentation. People eat well where the climate would make it impossible to either keep food for an entire winter (the far north) or prevent food from spoiling in the hours before it’s sold (the wet tropics) thanks to the combination of salt and beneficial microbes.

I sold jars of sauerkraut at a booth in a farmer’s market last summer, and a common question concerned the necessity of refrigeration. Cool temperatures won’t damage the ferment, but the whole point is to render refrigeration optional. I’m currently on a bicycle tour through Mexico that will last several months, and of course, I’ve been making and eating fermented vegetables along the way without even a cooler. Transporting glass would be foolish, but a couple stainless steel food canisters will be sturdy and friendly to acids and microbes. I plan to learn and share local recipes I find along the way on this blog.

Fermenting on the road! Here I am preparing to make tacos topped with sauerkraut that I made in our hotel room a few days prior.

Trellis + Co.’s Pickle Helix System is constructed of high-quality stainless steel, making rust impossible. The sturdy and easy to clean design ensures endless successful ferments, so that you can continue to keep food fresh. The airlock built into the lid allows microbes to breathe while keeping mold spores out. They help both experienced fermenting fiends and first-timers successfully win the race against those competing composting microbes and add a wide variety of flavors, nutrients, and beneficial bacteria to our lives.

Trellis + Co. Fermenting Kit

Our fermenting kit is 100% complete with everything you need to start fermenting right out of the box.

Marina Jade Phillips

Fermenting Specialist, Interesting Human Being

Born in Alaska and raised in Colorado, Marina discovered the joys of fermentation in Philadelphia in 2005. She spent the last decade wrangling a homestead in Northern California, fermenting everything from tomatoes to beans. Currently, she is pedaling and eating her way thru Mexico on her first but probably not last bicycle tour, toting a violin and at least one jar of sauerkraut.

While these pickles are delicious on their own right out of the jar, try pulsing some in a food processor into a relish consistency for burgers or hot dogs or chop them into bite-sized chunks as part of a salad. Also, try a savory version of “ants on a log” by dipping in softened cream cheese and rolling in crushed peanuts.

A Note on “Clean”

A note on “clean” – In fermentation adventures, all equipment should be very clean. If you are unsure about the potentially sordid past of fermentation container, submerge it in water, bring to a boil for a few minutes, and follow with an air dry. A simple soap and hot water wash followed by air drying should be sufficient for a new jar.

Ingredients

One bunch of celery, preferably organic. Conventional celery can have pesticide residues which may inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria in the fermentation process.

2 tbsp canning salt. Refined, white, non-iodized, and clumpy.

1 – 2 tbsp whole caraway seeds.

Half-gallon non-chlorinated water. Chlorine will inhibit the good bacteria we are attempting to foster.

A NOTE ON SALT

Save the fancy salts for cooking. Fermentation fairs best with boring salt—the minerals in pink or Celtic salts can leave veggies mushy or metallic. Make sure there are no anti-caking agents (if it pours when its raining, don’t use it!) or iodine. Look for refined sea salt or canning salt.

Tools

2 – 3 clean wide mouth quart jars. 2 is usually enough but venture a guess based on the size of the celery bunch.

The Process

1 | Bring the water and the salt to a boil and remove from heat. Add the caraway seeds and allow everything to cool to room temperature.

2 | Cut the entire bunch of celery in half or in thirds–aiming for stalks that soldier together vertically in a quart jar with enough space left over at the top for a compressed helix spring (about 2″ from the rim). Feel free to include the leafy parts.

3 | Slice the thicker stalks lengthwise, in half, or even into spears (thinner makes quicker pickles and looks elegant besides). Insert the stalks upright into the jars, keeping them cozy but not crowded.

4 | Place a Pickle Helix spring in the jar, then pour cooled salt and seed water over the stalks and spring–enough to completely submerge the veggies while preserving about an inch and a half of empty space. The spring prevents the stalks from bobbing up and out of the jar. Compress the spring and tightly screw down a Trellis & Co air lock lid to hold the spring in place. Leave the jars at room temperature and away from direct sunlight.

5 | After three to five days, bubbles should begin to form –this is a sign that beneficial microbes are beginning to work their fermentation magic. After ten days, open the jar and give everything a good sniff. There should be a sour odor, the next sign that resident microbes are working to lower the pickles’ PH. Taste a spear. It will probably be salty and faintly sour. Over the next week, feel free to taste a spear or two. When the pickles are sour enough, put the jars in the refrigerator.

6 | Eat them!

Smart Ideas

1 | Save the Brine:

Any leftover brine (the boiled and salted water called for in each recipe) can be stored in a clean jar on a pantry shelf indefinitely. Feel free to make a gallon at a time (keeping the ratio of one tablespoon of salt per quart) as it can be handy to have some around when the fermentation inspiration strikes!

2 | Consider the Surface:

There is always a possibility that the energetic action of bubbling fermentation will force some liquid out of the jar during the initial room temperature ferment. Putting the jar in a shallow bowl is a fine practice. We advise that you avoid leaving the jar on grandma’s heirloom hutch, just in case. Always leave some air at the top of the jar so there is room for microbial shenanigans.

Caraway Celery Pickles

This is the handy, printable version of the recipe. If you would like more details, tips, + tricks, visit our website at trellisandcompany.com.

1 bunch celery (preferably organic)

2 tbsp canning salt

1-2 tbsp whole caraway seeds

2-3 wide mouth quart jars

2-3 Trellis + Co. Pickle Helix springs + fermenting lids

Bring water and salt to a boil. Remove from heat. Add caraway seeds. Allow to cool at room temperature.

Cut the celery in half or thirds. They should fit vertically in a quart jar with a enough space left over for the compressed spring (about 2″ from the rim). Leafy parts ok.

Add Pickle Helix spring into the jar, then pour cooled salt and seed water over the stalks and springs–enough to completely submerge the veggies and still leave 1.5″ of empty space at the top. Compress the spring and tightly screw down a Trellis + Co. fermentation lid.

Leave the jars at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. After 3-5 days, bubbles should begin to form.

After 10 days, open the jar and give everything a good sniff. Taste a spear–it will probably be salty and faintly sour. Over the next week, feel free to taste a spear or two. When the pickles are sour enough, the pickles are complete and ready to be refrigerated and enjoyed.

Marina Jade Phillips

Fermenting Specialist, Interesting Human Being

Born in Alaska and raised in Colorado, Marina discovered the joys of fermentation in Philadelphia in 2005. She spent the last decade wrangling a homestead in Northern California, fermenting everything from tomatoes to beans. Currently, she is pedaling and eating her way thru Mexico on her first but probably not last bicycle tour, toting a violin and at least one jar of sauerkraut.

Trellis + Co. Fermenting Kit

Our fermenting kit is 100% complete with everything you need to start fermenting right out of the box.

]]>Cold Brew Season Has Arrivedhttp://trellisandcompany.com/cold-brew-season-has-arrived/
http://trellisandcompany.com/cold-brew-season-has-arrived/#commentsSat, 11 Mar 2017 18:43:54 +0000http://trellisandcompany.com/?p=325Yesterday, I saw my sidewalk for the first time in four months. We’ve had an incredibly snowy winter, and my attempts to shovel always turned into a snowball fight — me versus my two-year-old son and our dog. The melting snow inspired me to stick a batch of cold brew in the fridge to steep […]

]]>Yesterday, I saw my sidewalk for the first time in four months. We’ve had an incredibly snowy winter, and my attempts to shovel always turned into a snowball fight — me versus my two-year-old son and our dog. The melting snow inspired me to stick a batch of cold brew in the fridge to steep overnight. Of course, I used my Trellis + Co. Cold Brew Coffee Filter Kit and course ground coffee from local roaster, Caffe Ibis.

Adding course ground coffee to the filter. The suggested ratio is 1:4 coffee to water.

This morning, I was delighted to see the first spring flowers sprouting up in our garden. I poured some cold brew over ice, added a splash of freshly milked cream, and relaxed in the morning sun. Warm, soothing, glowing sunshine paired with blissfully cold, dark, caffeinated goodness.

The season of cold caffeine.

In celebration of Cold Brew Coffee season, I want to introduce you to the Cold Brew Coffee Kid, Mike Cooper. He has some sophisticated cold brew recipes that I just love.

Now that spring has motivated me into full blown cold coffee mania, I will now be posting my own creations and recipes. If you already own one of our Cold Brew Kits, please let us know about your own caffeinated concoctions.

Tanya Collings is a mother, homesteader, author, and real person. She is the Customer Satisfaction Manager, Multi-Tasking Marketing Guru, and Job Position Name Generator for Trellis + Co. You may contact her at vine@trellisandcompany.com.

]]>http://trellisandcompany.com/cold-brew-season-has-arrived/feed/2Mason Jar Sprouting Basicshttp://trellisandcompany.com/mason-jar-sprouting-basics/
http://trellisandcompany.com/mason-jar-sprouting-basics/#commentsTue, 10 Jan 2017 19:12:39 +0000http://trellisandcompany.com/?p=199Sprouting Kits – Now Available on Amazon! Hello Fellow Sprouters: I am in the process of putting together some photos and videos of my own sprouting adventures with our Trellis + Co. “Stainless Sprouting Lid Kits“. In the meantime, here are a some helpful resources to help you grow your own little ones. Sprouting Videos This video […]

I am in the process of putting together some photos and videos of my own sprouting adventures with our Trellis + Co. “Stainless Sprouting Lid Kits“. In the meantime, here are a some helpful resources to help you grow your own little ones.

Sprouting Videos

This video by Tom Malterre, author of The Elimination Diet, provides some simple, precise instructions on mason jar sprouting. You can use this technique with most sprouts, not just broccoli.

]]>http://trellisandcompany.com/mason-jar-sprouting-basics/feed/35 Creative Fermented Food Recipeshttp://trellisandcompany.com/fermentedfoodrecipes/
http://trellisandcompany.com/fermentedfoodrecipes/#respondMon, 09 Jan 2017 16:50:58 +0000http://trellisandcompany.com/?p=160I compiled this list of my favorite recipes that work wonderfully with our new Stainless Fermenting Lid Kit. These recipes are designed for mason jar fermenting, and so you can follow these directions exactly while using our product.

I compiled this list of my favorite recipes that work wonderfully with our new Stainless Fermenting Lid Kit. These recipes are designed for mason jar fermenting, and so you can follow these directions exactly while using our product. The only difference: with our lids you needn’t bother “burping” your jars every day. Click here for more tips + tricks on using our fermenting kits with your favorite recipe.

Tanya Collings is a mother, homesteader, author, and real person. She is the Customer Satisfaction Manager, Multi-Tasking Marketing Guru, and Job Position Name Generator for Trellis + Co. You may contact her at vine@trellisandcompany.com.

Our Fermenting Kits recently hit the market, and we have compiled a few tips + tricks to inspire your fermenting festivities.

Our Lids Have Skills

Trellis + Co. Fermenting Lids may be used with most mason jar fermenting recipes. So what is the difference between using our products and regular canning jar lids? When using typical canning lids, you must “burp” (excuse me!) your jars everyday to release carbon dioxide. Otherwise, your jar may explode!

Our lids burp themselves, which is something my son didn’t figure out until he was 6-months-old. Our specially designed umbrella valve releases carbon dioxide as it builds up in the jar while simultaneously preventing oxygen and bacteria from invading your ferment.

Steps to Success

Follow your heart . . . I mean recipe: Prepare your ferment using a mason jar oriented recipe. Replace the step with “burp once a day” to “check once in a while if you feel like it.” Our lids will babysit that ferment for you.

Store out of direct sunlight: Unless otherwise indicated, keep your ferment in a cupboard, pantry, or basement where it is out of direct sunlight.

Bubbly Brine: Yes, sometimes brine will escape out of the valves. This is normal. Do not be alarmed. Consider placing a plate or tray underneath your stored ferment just in case.

New to Fermenting? Start With A Simple Sauerkraut

Especially if you are a novice, we recommend starting with something simple like sauerkraut. Makesauerkraut.com is our favorite resource. They provide step-by-step directions that work perfectly with our product.

Questions? Ask Me!

We pride ourselves on outstanding U.S. based customer service. In fact, our customer service team is composed primarily of . . . well . . . me! My name is Tanya Collings, and I am a real person. You can even stalk me on social media; I don’t mind. Please contact me at vine@trellisandcompany.com if you have any questions.

Tanya Collings is a mother, homesteader, author, and real person. She is the Customer Satisfaction Manager, Multi-Tasking Marketing Guru, and Job Position Name Generator for Trellis + Co. You may contact her at vine@trellisandcompany.com.